1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to coin-controlled merchandise dispensing apparatus and consists particularly in a coin-operated mechanism for vending flat articles such as newspapers, magazines and the like.
2. Related Applications
Application of W. Jack Wingate, Ser. No. 343,157 entitled Machine for Vending Articles Such as Newspapers, Magazines and the Like was filed Jan. 27, 1982.
3. The Prior Art
Prior attempts to provide a coin operated newspaper vending machine arranged to dispense a single newspaper upon insertion of the proper coinage have included G. D. Morse et al U.S. Pat. No. 388,369, H. O. Moore U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,907,160 and 4,139,120 and F. O. Godley, Sr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,641. The Morse patent, Moore U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,120 and the Godley, Sr. patent each has a single article receiving magazine with a sloping bottom wall. In the Morse patent, the newspapers are retained and individually released from the magazine by an upright vertically movable bar or post, necessitating that the bottom wall of the magazine be a distance above the bottom of the machine cabinet at least equal to the height of the movable bar. In Moore U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,120 a vertically movable carriage is mounted adjacent the front of the stack of newspapers in the magazine and has holddown arms which overlie the newspapers and an article engaging element for moving the topmost paper upwardly and rearwardly clear of the holddown arms to permit release of the paper, the papers below the carriage being retained by a chain windable about drums mounted on the carriage, the carriage being lowered gravitationally responsive to the holdback apparatus sensing the removal of the top paper from the stack. In the Godly patent, the inclined floor of the magazine is vertically removable relative to a stationary retainer post, movement being imparted by the purchaser through a crank driven screw device. In Moore U.S. Pat. No. 3,907,160 the individual newspapers are mounted in individual compartments in the magazine, each having a sloping bottom wall to effect gravitational delivery of the papers and a vertically slidably movable carriage is positioned in front of the magazine and is released for gravitational descent responsive to the insertion of proper coinage; for retaining newpapers in the magazine below the carriage until the carriage has descended to their level, a chain secured to the bottom of the magazine extends upwardly therefrom and over a drum on the carriage where it is connected to a cable, the other end of which is secured to a spring driven reel so as to maintain the chain taut irrespective of the height of the carriage.